Harder than I thought

Blogging once a week was harder than I thought.

I wasn't going to go all out with my posts, I just wanted to put something up that happened during the week.  

Oh well, here goes a list of things we've done, celebrated and places we went this past month and a 1/2.

• I had a birthday.  34 isn't that bad.
• Kirk went to Las Vegas (like always) for the concrete show. Funny thing, I slept on his side of the bed every night.  
• I signed up for a 10 week Zumba class.  It's fun and makes me sweet.  I like it.

• I finally made this 12 grain bread for MY family rather than everyone else's.  

Yummy 12 grain bread

• I saved $ on quite of few things by couponing. I'm not great at it but I feel good even if I only save a $1.

All this I got for FREE! with couponing.

• A quick trip to Great Falls to pick up some panels for our fireplace. Fun with friends and yummy Cafe Rio and I can't wait until Kirk can finish our fireplace!
• I started to pack for our annual trip to California on Feb 8 and we left on the 10th.  Cutting it close but we didn't forget anything important, so that's good.
• Played in California for 2 weeks. Our family ventured to 5 theme parks in 5 days.  Crazy? Maybe.  Fun? Absolutely! Tiring? Zzzzzzzzz  I'll have a post solely on this trip .... later.

• ASH learning a few more words.  "Okay"- "Elp"(help) - "Nigh" (night) - "Buzz" (Buzz Lightyear)

He makes me smile.

• Valentines Day in Disney Land, what more could a girl ask for!

Making hearts with their hands for Valentines Day!  ASH loves Rapunzel! 

• NJ turning 7 on the 18th of February.  

She's had a birthday in California 3 years in a row now.

• NJ so busy with the Sound of Music rehearsals not to mention her dance and singing classes.
• Leap Year (didn't do anything special but we still loved having an "extra" day this year).
• A wonderful Relief Society "morning side"  Ponder the Pathway of Thy Feet.  What a special morning, full of love and encouragement and friendship!  (I was in charge of baking 350 potatoes, for the potato bar they had after.  A huge THANK YOU to my Hubby who brought them all up in time for us to eat!) 

March is going to be a great month!  

Do Re MI Fa So and so on

The end of September there was auditions for the play The Sound of Music, to be performed in Raymond in March 2012.  

NJ wanted to try out.  I reluctantly said sure, but deep down I was nervous for her.  

When the time came I took her right after her dance class and there was already a line up.  When the started handing out slots she got #35.  She was trying out for Marta. 

The first 5 auditions took 1/2 hour and it started at 6:30pm  By the time they got to #11 NJ said she was hungry so we went home so she could change out of her dance clothes and eat.  

We got back up there at about 8:15 and they were at #29.  Wheew.  She sang The Emperors Underpants and read a Barbie School Days book.  She did great and was enthralled with all the other performers and made us stay for another 1/2 hour because she wanted to watch everyone.   

In October we received an email saying they had cast every one for the major roles and would contact her in the future if they needed her.   She was disappointed but we reminded her we would be going to Cali again in February and at the auditions they specifically said they needed everyone there in February for rehearsals and such. (I made sure at the auditions they knew we would be gone for 2 weeks in Feb). 

Then we recieved this email:

 

        From: Michelle Dick

Subject: Sound of music

Date: December 7, 2011 7:10:26 PM MST (CA)

To: asalarae@telus.net

Reply-To: Michelle Dick

 Hello Nevee. I apologize for the late notice as an error was made by me when contacting my cast. We would like to offer you the role of Gretl B in our production this spring. If you accept please let me know as soon as possible.   Thanks! 

Michelle Dick
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

She was ecstatic and for sure we replied with a "She'd love to!  We'll be waiting for further information."

So my little NJ was now going to be playing Gretl B in Raymond's The Sound of Music!  

Later on when she realized it wasn't Marta she threw a tantrum and told us she wasn't going to be in the play anymore.  We encouraged her and told her Gretl was the "baby" of the kids and therefore she would be the most fun to play.  She warmed up quickly to being Gretl and was getting her few lines and solo's down real good.

On January 11th Kirk took her to her practice where they made a change.  NJ was now going to be Marta A because her and Marta B were the same body size for the costume, whereas Gretl A and (the previous) Marta A were the same body size too. So Marta A became Gretl B.  Confused?  It doesn't matter my little NJ is now Marta A in Raymond's productions of the Sound of Music.  I am so excited and nervous and scared and PROUD of her!

New year New age

It is now 2012 and I am now 34 years old.

This is my 2012 goals for the year post.  None of them will be done perfectly everyday, but I will strive to try.

 So in no particular order:

1. Don't eat after 8pm
2. Drink 5 glasses of water before i can have my diet pepsi
3. Call my siblings once a month (at least)
4. Invite a family for supper once a month (at least)
5. Read scriptures every night before bed
6. Go to the temple once a month (at least)
7. Get up and ready first thing in the morning
8. Blog once a week (at least)
9. Make a "healthy" Supper every night
10. Pray every morning
11. Wear a necklace every day
12. Say at least one nice thing to each of my family members every day.

Out of all of them #7 has been the hardest but I really want to master it.  Getting up in the morning and getting ready, hair, make up and all.  I really like my pjs and no bra wearing mornings and especially on days like today, -40 with windchill!  I just want to lounge around in my comfy clothes and wrap up in a blanket while the bread dough is rising/baking.  But I also want to be ready for whatever may need me, outside of my home, at a moments notice.  So getting ready for the day, first thing, will put me in that place of "ready and willing".   

The easiest should be #11 wear a necklace everyday but in fact I found how hard it was to clean the toilet wearing one.  Any cleaning really was a tad more difficult with a dangly thing around my neck, getting caught on something or falling into something.  I may have to add something to it like "when all my chores are done" or something.  

The easiest one is probably # 9 as I have been doing that for that past year.  By healthy I mean making sure a garden salad, fruit salad or steamed veggies are with it.  I try to plan the whole month for supper meals and then purchase anything I need on 10% Tuesdays (1st Tuesday of the month).  I also make double of some things to put one in the freezer for next months meal or whenever I'm in a pinch.  

2012 here I come!